Last week, the European Commission said it was preparing to impose tariffs on Russian oil imports entering the EU through Hungary and Slovakia.

At this time, US President Donald Trump has been pressuring NATO member states to stop purchasing Russian energy in an attempt to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Last week at the United Nations, he said, "They are funding a war against themselves. Who has ever heard of such a thing?" Trump was referring to the over 1 billion euros (1.35 billion dollars) in fossil fuel costs that EU countries still pay Russia each month.

Al Jazeera outlined the latest data on Europe's oil and natural gas imports from Russia in this explanation, explaining why some countries still rely on Russian energy, and which countries are still buying Russian fuel now.

Which European countries are still buying Russian energy?

According to the Center for Research on Energy and Air Quality (CREA), which tracks the actual flow of fossil fuels, the EU spent 1.15 billion euros (1.35 billion dollars) on Russian fossil fuels in August.

The five largest importers accounted for 85% of the total, purchasing 979 million euros (1.15 billion dollars) worth of Russian oil and natural gas. The remaining 15% came from countries including Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and Poland.

The main buyers of Russian energy include:

  • Hungary: 416 million euros (488 million dollars)
  • Slovakia: 275 million euros (323 million dollars)
  • France: 157 million euros (184 million dollars)
  • Netherlands: 65 million euros (76 million dollars)
  • Belgium: 64 million euros (75 million dollars)

Hungary and Slovakia purchased Russian crude oil and pipeline natural gas, while France, the Netherlands, and Belgium imported liquefied natural gas (LNG), a natural gas that is cooled into liquid form and transported by ship rather than pipelines.

Source: Center for Research on Energy and Air Quality (CREA) | Data as of August 2025

Severe Dependence on Oil and Natural Gas in Europe

Oil (33%) and natural gas (24%) together account for more than half of Europe's energy supply. Coal contributed 11.7%, followed by nuclear power at 11.2%, biofuels at 10.9%, solar and wind energy at 6.1%, and hydropower at 3.1%.

According to GlobalData, to transport such large amounts of oil and natural gas, Europe relied on a vast network of 202,685 kilometers of active pipelines as of 2023.

A key part of this network is the 4,000-kilometer (2,500-mile) "Druzhba" pipeline, one of the longest oil pipelines in the world, with a daily capacity of 1.2 to 1.4 million barrels, transporting oil from eastern Russia through Belarus and Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia.

Hungary and Slovakia continue to receive oil through this pipeline under a temporary exemption granted by the EU, aimed at preventing severe energy shortages, as these landlocked countries heavily depend on the Druzhba pipeline, with few alternative import routes or ports.

How Has Europe's Dependence on Russian Natural Gas Changed?

Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, over 45% of the EU's natural gas imports and 27% of its oil came from Russia. By 2024, these shares had dropped to 19% for natural gas and 3% for oil.

As the EU seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, many European leaders face pressure to impose stricter sanctions on Russia. However, this remains challenging for countries that heavily rely on a single energy source, such as Hungary, where over 60% of energy comes from oil and natural gas.

Russian natural gas imports fell from over 150 billion cubic meters in 2021 to less than 52 billion cubic meters in 2024. This gap was mainly filled by increased imports from other partners: US imports rose from 18.9 billion cubic meters in 2021 to 45.1 billion cubic meters in 2024, Norway from 79.5 billion to 91.1 billion, and other partners from 41.6 billion to 45 billion.

Source: European Commission | October 2, 2025

What Other Goods Is Europe Still Buying From Russia?

Along with reduced energy imports, the EU has also seen a decrease in nickel, iron, and steel imports from Russia.

However, fertilizers, which are crucial for agriculture (Russia being a major producer and exporter), increased by nearly 20% from 2021 to 2025.

Earlier this year, the European Commission proposed imposing a 6.5% tariff on fertilizer imports from Russia and Belarus, aiming to gradually reduce reliance on inorganic fertilizers from Moscow. This proposal has been approved by the European Commission.

Source: Eurostat | October 2, 2025

Who Else Is Buying Russian Energy Outside the EU?

In August, China was the largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels, accounting for 5.7 billion euros (6.7 billion dollars) of Russia's energy export revenue, with 58% (3.1 billion euros) of the imports being crude oil.

India was the second-largest buyer, with imports amounting to 3.6 billion euros (4.2 billion dollars), of which 78% (2.9 billion euros) were crude oil.

Turkey ranked third, with imports totaling 3 billion euros (3.5 billion dollars), including a mix of pipeline natural gas, petroleum products, crude oil, and coal.

The EU was the fourth-largest buyer, with imports amounting to 1.2 billion euros (1.4 billion dollars). Two-thirds of this was Russian liquefied natural gas and pipeline natural gas, valued at 773 million euros (907 million dollars).

South Korea was the fifth-largest buyer, with imports amounting to 564 million euros (662 million dollars), of which three-quarters were coal.

Source: Center for Research on Energy and Air Quality (CREA) | Data as of August 2025

Source: Al Jazeera

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